Indie darlings Japanese Breakfast brought The Melancholy Tour to Boston recently, in support of their fourth studio album For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women). Released back in March, Michelle Zauner and co. have been hitting the road hard with special guests Ginger Root.

Coming off the heels of the Grammy-nominated Jubilee and the smash success of her 2021 memoir, Crying in H Mart, Zauner was challenged with the Herculean task of following up on them. After moving to Seoul for a year to study the Korean language, she used the momentum to begin writing For Melancholy Brunettes… with the idea of a stark contrast to the prior album. While Jubilee was a celebration of joy, life and catharsis, its follow up explores gloomier themes of distance and dissatisfaction. Despite the shift in atmosphere, Zauner has proven that no matter the subject matter, her writing skills can transform any idea into magic.

The stage was set up with a rather standard layout aside from the giant clamshell towards the back, highlighted by a single warm light. The band took the stage in darkness before Zauner joined them center-stage and ceremoniously lit up a lantern to commemorate the start of the show. “Life is sad, but here is someone” sings Zauner, as she delicately plucks the strings of her guitar inside the clamshell, before taking her place at the front of the stage for the lead single, “Orlando In Love.”

Greeting the crowd, Zauner acknowledges Boston and its reputation for being grumpy, jokingly searching for Ben Affleck amongst the faces. The vibe shifts in the room as the band transitions into “Honey Water,” which features a more electric instrumentation and a complete absence of all colors except red. The longest track on the album became even longer with a swelling crescendoed ending that bordered organized cacophony before the relief of resolution. The pacing of the show was surely prioritized, giving fans time to breathe in between the emotionally dense tracks.

Japanese Breakfast continues on The Melancholy Tour through September with Ginger Root. For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) is available now via Dead Oceans. Check out the rest of Cam’s photos below.